20 Most Recent Kohler 12 kW Emergency Power System - 12RES-L Questions & Answers

Is the outside air temp cold. These generators will backfire if it is real cold and if the propane pressure is low. It is suppose to be 11 to 12 inches of water colume at the generator fuel input. drygwals

U need to make sure that the relay driving ur auto start stay closed all thru the crank cycle.

The 'overcrank' error simply means it tried to start but never actually started. It cranked for an extended period. Check the fuel and starting issues you would normally check to start the engine. If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/craig_3fa289bf857b1a3c

My 11 month old Kohler 14RESL stopped working sometime this month. The GFI outlet to the trickle battery charger tripped and the battery charger went dead and so did the battery. When I realized the GFI had tripped, I reset it and the trickle battery charger started recharging the battery overnight. In the morning I tried to start the generator by pushing the run button - nothing happened except a message 'noEc' appeared on the status screen. I called Kohler and was referred to their local distributors. After a whole day of phone calls to many distributors, I finally found one, Kraft Power, who would come out on an overtime basis and fix the problem. I chose Kraft Power because they were the only company who knew what 'noEc' meant. They told me that since the generator had lost all power (no trickle battery charger), the engine had lost it's configuration! I have worked in the technical field for 25 years (computers, networks and remote diagnosis) so this answer was particularly troubling. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. The technician had to connect to the port on the controller, bring up Site Tech on his laptop, and enter two pieces of of information into the configuration. 1) 14RESL and 2) the engine type. We had to use a mirror to read the engine type as it was under the oil filter!

I finally solved the intermittant starting problem on my Kohler 12 RES by replacing the strater and the starter relay. I was also experiencing the occassional OC indication, red blinking LEDs on the ATS, and intermittent non-starts during the weekly exercises. The problem happened during power outages a couple times also. If I flipped the start switch between auto and run quickly the generator would occasionally start. Once started, the generator runs fine. I ordered a new starter, which included the starter solenoid. By the way, don't worry about the genuine part thing..the old starter was a Delco made overseas. I ordered a new starter online for $85 (6744N) and it was indentical to the genuine Kohler starter. Replaced the starter and it improved the problem but did not totally solve the intermittent starting. Ordered the starter relay (GM49746) replaced it and the problem is solved.

i used to work at a repair shop for kohler 98 bucks an hour to check it out. and for them to repair who knows?. i would do my best if not in a hurry to figure it out on my own. you can purchsae a service manual and stick with your basics; spark gas, and from there go deeper.

You will likely need to reference your instruction manual for that specific control panel.

Hi
If the starter battery is not taking a charge, then it may have failed and require replacement. It is not uncommon for a battery that sits on standby for long periods of time to eventual fail. Best approach is to contact Kohler direct or one of their service agencies to get the correct replacement battery for the generator system.
You can contact them here
regards robotek

Valve seats, valve integrity, intake seals. Perform a leakdown test to further diagnose

this sure sounds as if the low oil cutoff is activating for some reason , look at switch carefully to see any physical dammage (ck oil level as well)

this is a common complaint to these , what it boils down to is allways a fuel problem , if its gasolene then its in the carb if it's nat gas then it's in the regulator/vaporizer you'll have to clean these items to see if that helps . someof those liguid cleaners sometimes works but i find a good dissassembly cleaning to be the best

OC is over crank failed to start. It will normally try 3 times before giving this error. You need to disconnect the battery and remove the starter motor, make sure it is free to move / spin. Either the starter has seized or the engine has siezed. Make sure the engine is free to rotate also, once you remove the starter you will see the engine flywheel there, removing the spark plugs will make it easier to rotate the engine. I would guess it is more the starter.

Lowes sells air filters for Kohler engines . As far as the oil a SEA 30 or 10w 30 would be fine.